Brands
Xiaomi India elevates Muralikrishnan B as president
MUMBAI: Smartphone and smart TV brand, Xiaomi India on Friday announced the elevation of Muralikrishnan B as Xiaomi India president. The change will be in full effect by 1 August 2022.
After serving as a chief operating officer since 2018, in his new role as president of Xiaomi India, Muralikrishnan B will be responsible for day-to-day operations, services, public affairs, strategic projects and will continue to work towards strengthening the company’s commitment towards the Make in India and Digital India initiatives.
An alumnus of IIM-Calcutta, Muralikrishnan comes with over 25 years of experience in the consumer tech domain and has been instrumental in the brand’s growth across offline sales, service and operations, etc.
Under Muralikrishnan’s able leadership, the company has witnessed strong growth across categories and has substantially scaled its organizational capabilities, execution machinery and built a solid foundation in the offline retail segment, according to the company.
Brands
Aman Gupta’s OFF/BEAT secures Rs 100 crore seed funding round
Bessemer backs new venture betting on AI and India’s digital shift
MUMBAI: Aman Gupta has raised Rs 100 crore in seed funding for his new venture OFF/BEAT, with Bessemer Venture Partners leading the round as it bets on a new wave of AI-led, consumer-first businesses in India.
The funding marks an early but significant push for OFF/BEAT, which is positioned to tap into a rapidly evolving market shaped by a digitally native generation and advances in artificial intelligence. The venture aims to build at the intersection of culture and technology, where brand identity and innovation increasingly go hand in hand.
Gupta, best known for co-founding boAt and scaling it into a Rs 3,000 crore-plus business, is now looking to apply those learnings to a new playbook. His focus this time is not just on building a consumer brand, but on leveraging AI and global networks to accelerate growth.
OFF/BEAT founder Aman Gupta said, “Having built from scratch before, I know what capital can do and what it cannot. This time, I was looking for partners with a global perspective who can help me leverage technology and AI, because that is where the future lies. Bessemer’s track record with companies like Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn says it all.”
The choice of investor reflects that ambition. Bessemer Venture Partners has backed global technology players such as Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn, bringing not just capital but strategic support and global reach.
Bessemer Venture Partners partner Anant Vidur Puri said, “We back founders who see around corners. Aman saw how a new India would come to think about aspiration, identity and quality, and built boAt as proof. He is now applying that same instinct to a market being reshaped by AI and by a generation with entirely new expectations.”
The investment comes at a time when India’s startup ecosystem is being reshaped by both consumer behaviour and technological disruption. Founders are increasingly expected to understand not just products, but the cultural shifts that drive adoption.
For OFF/BEAT, the journey is just beginning, but the signal is clear. In a market where attention is fleeting and expectations are rising, building something truly distinctive may be the only way to stay on beat.
